Dedicated website provides students practical #CareersAdvice

The ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel has today announced its latest initiative #CareersAdvice, an online hub providing school leavers practical information to help advise their next steps in skills development.

#CareersAdvice is the second phase of the ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel’s NZ Talent movement.

NZ Talent was created by members of the ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel to equip young New Zealanders for the future of work here in New Zealand. The ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel is a collective group of individuals and businesses focused on influencing change to create the best possible opportunities for New Zealand’s social and economic prosperity.

#CareersAdvice was created to address student uncertainty around what to do when finishing secondary school. Its aim is to empower New Zealand school-leavers by giving them access to prominent New Zealand business leaders who have taken varied paths to success. The website provides helpful tips, advice and video content from a wide range of business leaders, spanning multiple industries.

ASB executive general manager technology, innovation and payments Simon Tong says the ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel recognises the evolving future of work and the growing demand for contemporary skills in business more broadly.

"We have been delighted with the positive response from a range of businesses across different industries that genuinely care about the future of New Zealand. #CareersAdvice was created to help ensure young New Zealanders have support when determining their next steps in skills development, whichever avenue they choose," Mr Tong says.

#CareersAdvice follows NZ Talent’s Open Letter to New Zealand in September 2017. The letter, signed by more than 200 prominent New Zealand businesses, states signatories actively support alternative pathways to career success and confirm that for a range of skills-based roles within their organisations they no longer require tertiary-qualified employees.

Frances Valintine, co-leader of the NZ Talent initiative under the ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel, says businesses face rapid changes in future due to the impacts of technology.

"There is a local and global skills gap for technology-based roles and more opportunities for those who have entrepreneurial vision. These new and ever-evolving skillsets call for new credentials and a new approach to learning. There is now a requirement for students to commit to life-long learning and consideration of alternative pathways including nano-degrees, pursuing entrepreneurial endeavours, apprenticeships or entry straight into the workforce as equally relevant and valid alternative pathways to success as traditional routes."

"ASB is proud to be involved in helping pioneer this initiative as we understand the future of work is constantly changing – today businesses are hiring people for roles that didn’t exist a year ago," Mr Tong says. NZQA chief executive Karen Poutasi says #CareersAdvice will prove valuable to young Kiwis navigating their way into further education, training and work.

"How we credential and recognise skills and knowledge will need to change in an increasingly global and digital world. Qualifications will continue to play an important role, but learners, employers, communities and iwi need access to a wider range of training and education that is highly responsive in a rapidly changing environment. Consequently, NZQA is preparing for a future where micro credentials will play an important part in the skills ecosystem. Micro credentials will allow for a wider variety of skill development and training to be recognised through showing the level and duration of non-qualification learning against the New Zealand Qualifications Framework," Ms Poutasi says.

About #CareersAdvice

#CareersAdvice, an online suite of free video content, was created to help young New Zealanders determine their next steps in skills development. Over 100 videos are available from a range of Kiwi businesses. In the short clips, individuals from these businesses share their advice, discuss their own career journeys and talk about the skills their businesses are seeking.

The purpose of #CareersAdvice is to continue the national conversation ignited by the Open Letter about the future of work and how young New Zealanders can prepare.

About the ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel

ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel is a group of 40 NZ business leaders, focused on actively contributing to shaping the future of NZ through innovation.

The Panel's goal is to create the best possible opportunities for the social and economic prosperity of New Zealand and as such, enable all Kiwi’s and Kiwi businesses to realise their potential.

ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel is a 'do-tank' model, where Panel members actively drive change to support New Zealand’s future.

NZ Talent movement was started by ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel to help achieve the goal of raising awareness of the evolving future of work here in New Zealand and around the world and helping young New Zealanders prepare.